YOUR WORST SETBACK(s)/HAIR DISASTER(s) AND WHAT YOU DID TO RECOVER

[DrC]

Stating your story of setbacks along with recovery may help some women on here, so blab away please


I'll start the chain:

MY Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):


1. Letting other people who poorly managed their own hair in my head

2. Getting an ammonium thioglycolate perm

3. Going to a scissor happy stylist when all I asked for was a trim.

4. Trimming my hair when I'm scissor happy myself lol

5. Buying cheap human hair weave.....My scalp, face and neck broke out into a rash :burning:

6.) -Relaxing ALL of my hair everytime I had new growth (this was in highschool I'm surprised I didn't go bald)


What Did I Do to Recover From This:

1. Went to cosmetology School received my license in 2003 and started learn about hair.
To never listen to someone with:
broken edges w/ a hot red color weave pony tail that doesn't match with their hair...
Listening to people who think NATURAL hair is taboo.


2. Let the( Ammonium thio) grow out, and DC my hair. My hair grew it out pretty quick, but I will not get a (thio) perm again.

3. IMO Don't go to a stylist unless I absolutely trust her like my life depended on it. ( license or not, the first person who should understand the basics of your hair is YOU, because YOU will have to deal with that hair on your head everyday...not the stylist) The last time I went to a stylist was in 03.

4...........I'm still working on it lol. ( It use to be worse. I use to shave my head sometimes lol!)

5. I threw the weave in the trash and set it on fire .....j/k lol
Seriously, I threw it away and learned never to buy a weave I have no knowledge about. 2010 is the first time I have ever worn weave. Being so excited/impatient to do my sew in, I just picked up something quick and cheap to work with until my next paycheck arrived.( you get waht you pay for) I conducted a little research and decided to try Milky Way ( It sucked for me but to each its own because some people swear by it). After buying my weave I visited a few stylists I went to Cosme. School with, who gave me pretty good tips on weave and installation. My next brand I'm dying to use: Bobbi Boss.

6. Stop getting relaxers/Stretch my relaxers. Learn the proper way for application ( Cosmetology)


What Advice Do I have for people who are encountering a Setbacks/Hair Disasters:



-Stop crying/pouting/being disappointed it will be okay, it happens to the best of us

- Try to get as much advice as you can, especially from the LHCF O.G'S. This is one of the best hair forums for advice

-You made it this far, dont let a bump in the road stop you.






Your Turn
Cut and Paste Below


Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):
What did you do to Recover From This:
What advice do you have for people who are encountering Setbacks/Hair Disasters:

 

[Starronda]

1. lol@ peroxide to dye my bangs like Salt & Pepa in high school
2. weave glue on my hair, then pulling it out with baby oil
3. shampooing my hair and not following up with conditioner
4. spraying my hair with fantasia holding spray, then curling for the curls would stay all day
5. never moisturizing my hair b/c I always had a full head of weave and no one would see my hair
6. relaxing at first sign of new growth

All of the above caused major setbacks and answered my question of "why doesn't my hair ever grow".

 

[MsBoinglicious]

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):
UHHHHH Single Strand Knots! Hate those nasty lil things. I wore a Puff for like a week and teased it (pulling curls out of sync) to "puff it up" every day. Came wash day, it was a horrid mess. They were every where.

What did you do to Recover From This:
I set a side an entire weekend and did a S&D Mission (Search & Destroy). I went through EVERY strand of hair cutting the knots out. On some strands I had 3 knots in a row. It gave me the creepies. I wanted to just shave my head clean bald! But I took my time. Was better than cutting of inches of my hair. Took me 3 days to complete!

What advice do you have for people who are encountering a Setbacks/Hair Disasters:
Breath! It will be okay! Take your time and think! Don't make any sudden moves you might regret out of frustration! Think about all your options to get you out of your set back! Then do what you gotta do!

 

[DrC]

1. lol@ peroxide to dye my bangs like Salt & Pepa in high school
2. weave glue on my hair, then pulling it out with baby oil
3. shampooing my hair and not following up with conditioner
4. spraying my hair with fantasia holding spray, then curling for the curls would stay all day
5. never moisturizing my hair b/c I always had a full head of weave and no one would see my hair
6. relaxing at first sign of new growth

All of the above caused major setbacks and answered my question of "why doesn't my hair ever grow".

Peroxide,( Hydrogen Peroxide? Or Peroxide for the Hair?/) Weave Glue, conditioner Free, Holding Spray ( SMH) when you put this together it does not sound good at all lol. ( Thank GOD for LHCF) and to think, there are some people out there who are doing this to their hair as we speak lol.

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):
UHHHHH Single Strand Knots! Hate those nasty lil things. I wore a Puff for like a week and teased it (pulling curls out of sync) to "puff it up" every day. Came wash day, it was a horrid mess. They were every where.

What did you do to Recover From This:
I set a side an entire weekend and did a S&D Mission (Search & Destroy). I went through EVERY strand of hair cutting the knots out. On some strands I had 3 knots in a row. It gave me the creepies. I wanted to just shave my head clean bald! But I took my time. Was better than cutting of inches of my hair. Took me 3 days to complete!

What advice do you have for people who are encountering a Setbacks/Hair Disasters:
Breath! It will be okay! Take your time and think! Don't make any sudden moves you might regret out of frustration! Think about all your options to get you out of your set back! Then do what you gotta do!

Was it 3 WHOLE days?? Did you do it in sections or S&D randomly??

 

[Triniwegian]

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):
Getting a Dominican Blow out

What did you do to Recover From This:
I had to do hardcore (Aphogee) protein treatments and moisturizing DC's for about a whole year. I babied my ends and NEVER used any heat that following year. I bunned exclusively and barely touched my hair unless it was slathered with conditioner.

What advice do you have for people who are encountering a Setbacks/Hair Disasters:
Don't cut off all your hair as soon as disaster strikes, sometimes it can be saved and it will usually revert with time. Mine did.

AND, my hair was virgin, I had done the BC and hadn't done anything to my hair before I got the blowout; just because you have natural healthy and virgin hair, doesn't mean it can take anything.
Dominican blowouts are SEVERE. Some can take it but others can't. Make sure you know how your hair reacts to heat before you get one. My advice is NOT to get one at all, I lost a good 5" of length because of that.

 

[DrC]

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s):
Getting a Dominican Blow out

What did you do to Recover From This:
I had to do hardcore (Aphogee) protein treatments and moisturizing DC's for about a whole year. I babied my ends and NEVER used any heat that following year. I bunned exclusively and barely touched my hair unless it was slathered with conditioner.

What advice do you have for people who are encountering a Setbacks/Hair Disasters:
Don't cut off all your hair as soon as disaster strikes, sometimes it can be saved and it will usually revert with time. Mine did.

AND, my hair was virgin, I had done the BC and hadn't done anything to my hair before I got the blowout; just because you have natural healthy and virgin hair, doesn't mean it can take anything.
Dominican blowouts are SEVERE. Some can take it but others can't. Make sure you know how your hair reacts to heat before you get one. My advice is NOT to get one at all, I lost a good 5" of length because of that.

Good Grief 5 inches... Yep Dominican blowouts aren't for everybody, I always had a side eye about it ever since it came to the scene.

 

[teacherjess]

Here is my Top Ten Dirrrrrrty list of things I did to my hair. And sadly, almost all of this was not back in high school, but just about a year and a half ago before I discovered LHCF and proper hair health:

1. Relaxing every 4-6 weeks
2. Getting permanent color on top of a relaxer
3. Daily use of curling irons & flat irons
4. Velcro rollers---(oh hayle naw, never ever again)
5. Not moisturizing hair
6. Sleeping on cotton pillowcases w/out tying hair in scarf
7. Shampooing with those 3-in-1 bath bubble, body wash, shampoo products= DRYING!
8. Instant conditioners only
9. Greasing my scalp
10. NOT discovering LHCF sooner


oh and one more, excessive brushing and manipulation

 

[brittanynic16]

Worst Setback: See Siggie

Recovery: No more chemicals

 

[I Am So Blessed]

my setback was when i cut close to 4inches off my hair two months ago what the hell i did that for!!?????

but i guess its a blessing in disguise , but now that i think back, ALL I REALLY NEEDed WAS TO JUST DUST

now im back at MBL, one more in untill WL, what the hell

 

[Starronda]

Peroxide,( Hydrogen Peroxide? Or Peroxide for the Hair?/) Weave Glue, conditioner Free, Holding Spray ( SMH) when you put this together it does not sound good at all lol. ( Thank GOD for LHCF) and to think, there are some people out there who are doing this to their hair as we speak lol.



Girl, I'm talking Hydrogen Peroxide. It was always dry and brittle and I never understood why lol

 

[ms.blue]

My worst setback was not detangling my hair properly after a weave w/ about 6 months worth of new growth and washing my hair which led into knot city. I went from apl to 2-3 inches (maybe 4) of hair all over.
The next day I went to get my hair braided then went home & search how to grow hair fast which led me lurking @ this site for more than a year. This site also inspired me to remain natural b/c that was not my intention.
I learned pretty much to become DIY and not trusting every stylists will have your best intention in heart.

 

[VirGoViXxEn]

my worst set back was leaving a lye relaxer in too long and it left a quarter sized bald spot at the top of my head. I applied lavender & rosemary oil and alter ego curative cren drops nightly to the bald area and massaged. It filled in completely within 6 weeks. I use this all the time now on my edges since i wear wigs. Its great for filling in thinning/bald spots. I think it will work the same without the drops. Lavender and Rosemary are very stimulating.

 

[chebaby]

i dont think i ever really told anyone this.
a few years ago i was obsessed with bleaching my hair. well we had been pulling strands of hair through plastic caps for the longest without issue but one day while in the bss i came across a cap that was specifically made for pulling hair through. it was a thick rubbery cap. man i should have never purchased that cap. after we put the bleach on and tried to take the cap off it was stuck. just thinking about it makes me want to cry. over half of my hair was through those holes and we couldnt get the cap of without just ripping out my hair so thats what we did.
i couldnt tell the damage at first. my hair was still long(below sl, this was maybe a year or 2 before i found this forum) but thinner. well one day i took a pic and when i looked at it you could see straight through my curls to my scalp. i was so hurt.

i have since transitioned for 11 months and have been natural for a little more than a year and i still have a thin spot near the front of my head. before i did the bc i hadnt had a relaxer in 11 months and it still took 4 months after chopping for that area to start growing in curly. i really did some damage there.

 

[Ashleescheveux]

Worst setback: Stretching for 6 months after my FIRST relaxer. I was not properly equipped with knowledge on how to deal with new growth. Certain sections in my hair broke off to about 4-5 inches and made me have see through ends/hair. That section is now growing slowly but surely. Im making sure to PS, detangle extremely well in that area, handle the hair gently, moisturize often, castor oil massages, and regular con/DC's.

 

[Ashleescheveux]

Thats exactly what happened to me

Worst Setback: See Siggie

Recovery: No more chemicals

 

[Lady Esquire]

I gave birth June 2008 and the postpartum shedding was bananas. The shed hairs would get tangled up in the ends and cause crazy breakage. I kept trimming regularly until one really bad detangling session around the summer of 2009. I should of trimmed it to APL but I didn't realize how bad the breakage was in the nape. Fastforward to present, I cut if up to SL to start fresh. The postpartum shedding has seriously curbed and now I can focus on regrowth.

 

[hothair]

Pre LHCF:

Natural hair- I took out my braids my hair had grown, decided I needed to colour (blond) before I did my weave. I bleached and coloured no problem.

I then thought I needed to make sure the hair left out would blend and I'd just put some relaxer on the top of my hair or just 5 mins. I did

Less than 5 mins later I started rinsing and had great long chunks of my hair falling into the tub, I ended up with a reverse mohawk no hair at all on the top of my hair, I put my hair in a full weave and it grew back in a few months.

My hair then was dry as hades but seemed to grow a lot faster...

 

[dollface0023]

Putting a relaxer in my hair 2 years ago.

My hair was pretty much broken off and severly damaged from me not taking care of it, So I did a BC.

So far my hair is longer then it's ever been, but I ended up putting a texturizer on it about 5 or 6 months ago and now I'm transitioning from it...

 

[bellebebe]

Tangles are my enemy!!!!!! That's the ONLY thing that sets me back. I have tried many different things but they always find me. I now know the root cause of it is my 3 months stretch. NEVER AGAIN! I will now relaxer regularly; no more stretching.

 

[silenttullip]

setback
Listening to my older sisters who are now cosmetologist "shakin my head" when they told me I could get rid of my perm by pouring acv on my head. I was a teen didn't know any better so I did it a few times.
recover
went all the way natural and researched how you should dilute acv

setback
Using a long tooth comb thinking it was the same as a wide tooth comb
recover
finding out about cricket combs and kent brushes

BIGGEST SETBACK
Using cantu shea butter shampoo and a bunch of the leave it for some reason it took a lot of my hair out.
recover
Learning too much of anything isn't good "protein"

setback
Using selsun blue to shampoo my hair frequently without following with a moisturizing shampoo or conditioner.
recover
realizing when you have an itchy scalp or scalp condition it's best to use natural shampoos like jason, chagrin valley, desert essence, giovanni etc

only setback since joining lhcf
Flat ironing my hair with a hotnsilky 3 weeks in a row
recover
giving my hair moisture, s&d every few months, and deep conditioning, and doing protective styles

This was a really good thread it helped me really see how much lhcf has helped me in my journey

 

[PJaye]

WORST SETBACKS/DISASTERS:

1. Utilizing a Dominican salon – the harsh handling, inferior products and blazing hot dryers resulted in a dry, scraggly puff ball germinating from a painfully sore scalp.

2. Using an In-Styler to straighten my hair - a fried-dried disaster.


RECOVERY METHODS:

1. After my last Dominican salon visit, I vowed to become better acquainted with my hair in an unstraightened state. I also began to wash my hair more frequently, in addition to adding regular overnight deep conditioning sessions. This also caused me to expand my horizons with regard to possible hair products, where I favored those that reported “ultra” or “extra” penetrative benefits. My styling preferences entailed either an air dried ponytail or a wet braid out (I didn’t know that what I was doing had an official name until I joined this site ).

2. Subsequent to my In-Styler encounter, I happened upon LHCF, which brought a wealth of information. So, I began by cutting off a sizable portion of the fried-dried remains and intensified my hair routine by shampooing and deep conditioning more often, and incorporating a more balanced regimen. This necessitated gathering more information concerning the fundamentals of hair and the scope of various ingredients in hair products in conjunction with the nature of my hair.


RELEVANT ADVICE/LESSONS LEARNED:

First, thoroughly assess the situation in order to unearth the essential facts - what happened, why did it happen, what factors were integral to the resulting outcome(s), what are the possible options for recuperation? Discovering the answers to these questions will be essential to the process of recovery. You should also seek out relevant information and assistance from reliable outside sources to help mitigate the damage (i.e., the LHCF search engine ).

One lesson I learned from these experiences is to treat the worst hair symptom first (e.g., if your hair is experiencing both breakage and dryness, begin by addressing the breakage issue). Go slowly and utilize one product/method of recovery at a time so that you can best assess both the product’s efficacy and your rate of recovery.

 

[lovelexi]

1. getting a relaxer in middle school then starting swimming lessons soon after. bad breakage.
2.flat ironing and blow drying my hair often
3.getting a relaxer every 6-8 weeks
4. getting trims that were more like hair cuts
5. getting the dominican blow out every week for about 6 months. suprised i still got my edges and hair
Recovery
1. stopped swimming lessons lol we figured it was the only way
2. no more blowdrying. flat iron...maybe on a special occasion. def will use heat protectant and all that other good stuff from now on.
3. relaxer 10-12 weeks. so far im at 14 weeks. no major breakage.
4. i'll trim my hair my self shooo
5. i am staying away from that fire breathing machine
im a newbie but already LHCF has taught me so much. im putting my knowledge into practice and seeing some good results. got a long way to go but theres no turning back now.

 

[MsBoinglicious]

Was it 3 WHOLE days?? Did you do it in sections or S&D randomly??

I separated my hair in 4 sections (2 in the back 2 in the front). Yes it took 3 whole days (Friday night, all day Sat, all day Sun and some of Mon lol). I took my time and when I was done my hair felt great (I got every single strand knot, split end and end that just didn't look right to me) and I didn't loose any length! My hair felt great! I was happy!

 

[DrC]

setback
Listening to my older sisters who are now cosmetologist "shakin my head" when they told me I could get rid of my perm by pouring acv on my head. I was a teen didn't know any better so I did it a few times.
recover
went all the way natural and researched how you should dilute acv

WHAT!?!? So basically you were pouring straight acid on your hair......

 

[Nova]

My worst hair disaster/setback:

1.) Flat ironing & curling my hair every day, thinking oils/grease was moisturizing.
2.) Not tying up my hair at night.
3.) Perming every time I saw new growth.
4.) Concocting a hair oil blend, using too much E.O's which took my hair out.
5.) Leaving in weaves and braids too long, creating a matted mess and mega hair loss.

Recovery:

1.) Ditching heat for air-drying.
2.) Daily moisturizing.
3.) Using protective styles (bunning).
4.) Stretching relaxers.
5.) Pooing more than once a week.

 

[Newtogrow]

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s): "Hair softener"was put into my hair by a natural hair stylist and broke it all the way off!!!

What did you do to Recover From This:Cut it off inch by inch and wore twists and braids.

What advice do you have for people who are encountering Setbacks/Hair Disasters: DIY!!!

 

[DrC]

Your Worst Setback(s)/Hair Disaster(s): "Hair softener"was put into my hair by a natural hair stylist and broke it all the way off!!!

What did you do to Recover From This:Cut it off inch by inch and wore twists and braids.

What advice do you have for people who are encountering Setbacks/Hair Disasters: DIY!!!

Hair Softener? Like a conditioner? ( Never heard of it)

 

[divachyk]

setback:
getting braids, hair tangled badly, salon didn't take the time to detangle, they were yanking at my head, my ends suffered, had to get a good bit cut, went from ~BSL to SL.

recover:
nothing really, visited salon bi-weekly religiously. my hair bounced back and then some. i grew to a full BSL.

setback:
my hubs got cancer (praises he's now healed) and my length shedded due to stress. i would say i'm a few inches away from APL. i'm trying to bounce back.

recover:
joining LHCF, learning the art of moisture/sealing, protective styles and low manipulation.

 

[hillytmj]

My worst hair disaster was hi-lighting/bleaching my hair. To add insult to injury, I started weekly blowdrying and flat-ironing and within months I had thin, see-through strands.

My remedy was to find a good stylist who taught me to wash and DC weekly, stop using direct heat and to take hair vitamins. We gradually trimmed all of the damaged hair off (1 inch per month) and I had a neck length head full of healthy hair within 11 months.

I definitely won't be bleaching my hair anytime soon, lol.